Why the most resilient entrepreneurs lead with compassion

For years, we’ve been told that only the toughest businesses survive. The ones that adapt the fastest, compete the hardest, and run with laser-focused efficiency are the ones that win. In this way of thinking, resilience is about outlasting the competition, and success is measured in years, dollars, and market dominance.

But what if we’ve been looking at it all wrong?

A company can last a century, but longevity alone doesn’t mean it made a lasting impact. The real question isn’t how long a business sticks around—it’s what it leaves behind. And after studying some of the world’s most successful immigrant entrepreneurs, I’ve found that their secret isn’t just grit or relentless competition. It’s kindness.

For these leaders, kindness isn’t just a nice tagline or a feel-good PR move. It’s at the core of how they hire, make decisions, and create real value. At a time when trust in institutions is fading and talent has more mobility than ever, this often-overlooked trait might just be the biggest competitive edge in business today.

The unseen advantage 

Business often dismisses kindness as an impractical luxury that dulls competitive edge, slows execution, and dilutes financial performance. But my research disagrees.  

Immigrant entrepreneurs are statistically substantially more successful than their native-born peers despite often arriving in new countries without financial capital, connections, or credibility. But what they do have is an instinctive understanding of how to build social capital and create businesses that: 

• Treat employees as partners, not cost centers. 
• See customers as relationships, not transactions. 
• Approach suppliers and competitors to collaborate, not just negotiate. 

Take Reem Hassani, the Iraqi American cofounder of Numi Tea, who grew a multimillion-dollar brand by prioritizing long-term impact over short-term gains. When I asked her why she insisted on organic, fair-trade ingredients—despite the cost—she didn’t hesitate: 

“Because business should be a force for good. If we have the power to do better, why wouldn’t we? The success follows.” 

Kindness is the foundation of Numi’s entire business model, and it has built a network of trust so strong that some small-scale farmers still sell exclusively to the company even when corporate giants offer them more.  

The business case for kindness 

Kindness in business is not about being a soft touch; hard data show it produces measurable results: 

• Employees who feel their company genuinely cares about them are 87% less likely to leave.  
• Companies with strong cultures of trust see 74% lower stress levels and 50% higher productivity. 
• Purpose-driven businesses grow three times faster than their competitors. 

But despite this overwhelming evidence, many business leaders still assume that competition trumps connection and success depends on extracting the maximum from employees, suppliers, and customers.  

In contrast, immigrant entrepreneurs, perhaps motivated by their early experiences of hardship and dependency on community support, tend to operate differently. They integrate kindness into their businesses and make it a competitive advantage by:    

Focusing on others  

My research shows that immigrant entrepreneurs find success by creating businesses that are deeply rooted in their personal values and focused on serving others.  

Take Korean immigrant Saeju Jeong, who struggled during his early years in New York but remained committed to honoring the memory of his father, a doctor who had died of cancer.  

Remembering his dying father’s words about the importance of tackling the causes of illness, Jeong created Noom, a weight-loss app that uses behavioral psychology to help people make sustainable changes to their lifestyles. Noom, which Jeong cofounded with fellow immigrant Artem Petakov, is now valued at $3.66 billion.  

Prioritizing relationships over short-term wins 

In business, the pressure to scale quickly and maximize profits is relentless. But the immigrant founders I studied prioritized long-term relationships over immediate financial gain. 

Dominique Ansel, the world-renowned pastry chef behind the Cronut, received countless offers to turn his viral sensation into a mass-produced product. But he refused because, as he told me, “When you love your craft, you don’t sell out.” 

Ansel’s decision wasn’t just about protecting his brand—it was about respect for the customers who waited in line for something special. His commitment to customer relationships and quality has given the Cronut longevity far beyond the average food trend and created a sustainable business that’s still thriving. 

Sharing their success 

For immigrant entrepreneurs, success is not an individual pursuit nor are its fruits something to hoard. They build businesses to sell and to serve and are committing to sharing what they gain. The most enduring immigrant-founded businesses I researched constantly focused on their legacies by strengthening communities, creating opportunities, and ensuring lasting impact.  

That philosophy is embodied by Fadi Ghandour who founded the £1-billion-valued logistics company Aramex. Ghandour delivers impact through Ruwwad, a venture that funds education and entrepreneurship programs in marginalized communities across the Middle East and North Africa. His belief? A company’s success should lift entire ecosystems. 

The quiet force that endures 

Kindness isn’t a footnote to success but its foundation. All the immigrant entrepreneurs I studied had experienced firsthand how it can change lives and made kindness the cornerstone of their business because it was both the right thing to do and the smartest way to lead. 

Sometimes it appears that the world rewards speed and ruthlessness. But kindness is the quiet force that endures. It builds trust, deepens loyalty, and turns businesses into legacies. The leaders who understand this won’t just succeed in the next decade. They’ll reshape the future of business itself.